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Welcome to the Reel Turf Techs Podcast, Episode 166.

Today we’re talking with Dan Haxton, Equipment Manager at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Congressional is a private 36-hole facility with a deep history in tournament golf, and Dan leads a three-person shop supporting a fleet that’s primarily John Deere equipment.

Dan shares how he got his start in the industry at just 14 years old filling divots at Queenstown Harbor before moving from the crew side into the shop. After stepping into an assistant mechanic role, he became a head mechanic only eight months later and spent 12 years at South River before stops at Woodmont and eventually Congressional.

They talk about the realities of managing people — the most rewarding and most stressful part of the job — along with favorite tools like calipers, preset torque wrenches, and a milling machine that’s become invaluable for rotary blade work and repairs. Dan also discusses how forums, YouTube, and networking with other techs continue to help him learn and problem solve.

The conversation gets into designing Congressional’s new two-story maintenance facility, standardizing reel data and height-of-cut communication across the operation, and the club’s growing use of robotics and automation, including Kress and Husqvarna mowers along with a Relox ball picker.

It’s a great conversation about growth in the industry, building systems that make life easier, and balancing tradition with new technology at one of the game’s iconic clubs.

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